toomanytommytoes, annie8, SP & 4shoes mystery chilli growing

**Scarlet** · 14-05-2019, 09:14 AM

Nagas do have big leaves but the are also very broad.
Photo from one of blacknagas a couple of years ago.

**Mitzi** · 14-05-2019, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by Small pumpkin View Post

Potted a couple up in inverted pop bottles. Thanks for the idea Mitzi.

It looks like you have the water level in the base coming right up above the inverted bottle neck; is that right? They might not like having wet feet.

What I do is use a piece of kitchen roll (normally 1/4 sheet per bottle) to hold the compost in the bottle. Cut a slit in it, and feed a strip of capillary matting through (like in a chilli grow but obviously only a thin strip.) I put water (and feed when appropriate) in the base and the plant just sucks up what it needs via the capillary matting. If you don't have capillary matting you can use fabric or knitting wool as the wick.

I've found it best to keep an air gap between the bottle neck and the top of the liquid. I don't know why that's necessary because it shouldn't be but it's just what works for me.

How have you stopped your compost falling out?

**Small pumpkin** · 14-05-2019, 07:46 PM

Originally posted by Mitzi View Post

It looks like you have the water level in the base coming right up above the inverted bottle neck; is that right? They might not like having wet feet.

What I do is use a piece of kitchen roll (normally 1/4 sheet per bottle) to hold the compost in the bottle. Cut a slit in it, and feed a strip of capillary matting through (like in a chilli grow but obviously only a thin strip.) I put water (and feed when appropriate) in the base and the plant just sucks up what it needs via the capillary matting. If you don't have capillary matting you can use fabric or knitting wool as the wick.

I've found it best to keep an air gap between the bottle neck and the top of the liquid. I don't know why that's necessary because it shouldn't be but it's just what works for me.

How have you stopped your compost falling out?

Thanks for that I wasn't sure if I was doing it right. I'll sort it out Tomorrow. I have capillary matting.
I'm not sure how I stopped the compost falling out of the neck. I just filled it like any other pot. I expected some to fall out.

**Small pumpkin** · 15-05-2019, 10:17 PM

These looking better now Mitzi? Think I've done it right now

These mystery chillies are really starting to excite and intrigue me.
Not knowing the variety is really making me pay attention to how they are growing. Leaf shape, overall shape, colour, how the buds are forming.
I'm really looking forward to the flowers coming out.

Just look at the difference in these.

Well I'm excited about it

**toomanytommytoes** · 16-05-2019, 01:00 PM

Chilli nerds

Mine are going into their final pots in a week or so. Gave all my peppers a soil drench of neem and castile soap...it seems to have got rid of the fungus gnat adults and has hopefully killed the larvae too. Did a round of aphid squishing yesterday, will spray them with neem/soap before they go into the greenhouse. Seems to be mostly green ones so far, with a few brown too.

**Chrissyteacup** · 16-05-2019, 01:45 PM

That comparison photo’s great sp!! (And makes me feel better about my smaller plants too!!)

**annie8** · 19-05-2019, 07:41 AM

Have decided to try and be quite brutal with my mystery chilli seedlings, which is not like me. They are all out in the gh now and will stay there unless we get a really cold night and any really sickly ones are getting punted. I don’t have the time or inclination with all the other things I have to do to fight to save sickly ones. So if I end up with 20 healthy ones will be happy. That’s my plan and I’m sticking to it .... maybe.

**annie8** · 19-05-2019, 02:29 PM

Small pumpkin - my husband is heading to Mull next week. Is there somewhere selling your chilli powder on the island? Can get him to look out for it.

**Small pumpkin** · 19-05-2019, 02:40 PM

Originally posted by annie8 View Post

Small pumpkin - my husband is heading to Mull next week. Is there somewhere selling your chilli powder on the island? Can get him to look out for it.

He's more than welcome to stop in for a cuppa ( and the guided tour around the garden and tunnels

). Or he can get chilli powder from Pennyghael store or old post office lochbuie. You not coming with him annie?

**annie8** · 20-05-2019, 08:29 AM

That’s so kind. Am not sure he’ll have time to stop by, not even sure yet which bit of the island he’s going to. I’d love to pop in though next time I’m on Mull. Am not going with him this time will be at home with my son. Have been to the island a few times though. Must be 3 years since I was there last. Usually camping. Maybe One of these days I will see a sea eagle. Will definitely tell him to get me some chilli powder if he is down that end of the island.

**annie8** · 20-05-2019, 09:36 PM

Can’t tell you how excited I was to see the first flower on my mystery chillis. No idea what it is - one of the medium darker yellow seeds

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**Small pumpkin** · 20-05-2019, 09:41 PM

It's great to see the flowers coming.
Is the glass of white for you or your chilli ?

**annie8** · 20-05-2019, 10:12 PM

Aah didn’t notice that the wine had sneaked into the picture. That was for me. My wedding anniversary.

**toomanytommytoes** · 22-05-2019, 01:49 PM

Here are mine again. Some of them got a bit sun burnt last week. They look like they really could do with potting on, I just need to make some room in the greenhouse first. Perhaps I will give them a little feed.

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